Safe and Sound
by DreamyLoner
Summary: After losing the WWIII, China becomes the only survivor on his team. For almost a decade, Yao has to live as a servant to other nations and confronts the aftermath of his lover's death, waiting for the day when he will be forgiven. RoChu. Russia x China. Slight AmeChu. Onesided America x China. WARNING: character deaths, mild OOC.


_Even if the entire world detests you,_

 _I will still be here,_

 _Condoning every sin of yours,_

 _Because I love you._

 **xXx**

Wang Yao tottered down the hallway with a stack of folders; a trivial task he had been diminished to accomplish under other nations' merciless orders. After arranging the documents, he would have to mop the floor, dust the shelves, scrape the lavatory and prepare everyone's lunch. His shackled hands trembled with the immense load. A careless step around the corner caused him to stagger and topple. Immediately, everything was sent flying in the air, with some landing on the person he had just inadvertently trampled on.

"Bloody hell! Look where you're going, clumsy git!" a hoarse voice yelled in strong British accent. The Chinese man gazed up at Arthur Kirkland apologetically. He struggled to stand up with his wobbly knees. These days, every single joint in his body ached with excruciating pain. Not that he was croaking because no one would bother to tend to his internal injuries. He didn't care anyway.

"Clean the mess up, Yao! The meeting will start in fifteen minutes and I swear if you're late again, Alfred is so not going lenient on you!" Arthur practically bellowed at the feeble Asian. In his glorious era, Yao would definitely retort or even wallop the British for acting so hostile and insolvent towards him. But what was he supposed to do now? He was nothing but a toy his former allies exploited to their best advantages. He had been downgraded to merely a lackey.

"Yes, duì bù qǐ, aru," the representative of a country once so brilliant and gracious apologized and nodded subserviently, proceeding to gather all the folders.

"Mon cher~ Don't be so ruthless to little Yao. Did Alfie infuriate you again by any chance?" a familiar, husky voice chimed in. A hand fell upon Arthur's shoulder. The British whirled around and glowered at the elegant Frenchman.

"What do you want, frog-face?"

"No need to get all offensive~" Francis winked, blowing the British a kiss.

"Urgh, get lost, wanker." Arthur rolled his eyes and scuttled away.

"Well, well, well, what've we got here?" Francis asked, his eyes roaming over the petite Chinese man as he concentrated on fixing the folders in his arms.

"Arthur has been very cranky lately, hasn't he?" Francis smirked, bending down to lift Yao's chin. China shuddered and averted his gaze sheepishly, well aware of what was yet to come.

"I always thought he should be gentler towards you, but you know, you can always resort to me whenever you feel down~" Francis giggled. "You know you can always count on me, right?"

The Asian remained silent as the other man stood up, groping his hips in a fleeting moment before muttering some sexually harassing phrases and strutting towards the conference room where the meeting would soon begin.

"Konichiwa, China-san."

Yao stood up with his folders and glimpsed the raven-haired Japanese. Standing proud in his white suit, his expressionless face marked a slight beam of disdain as he ogled the man who used to claim himself to be his bigger brother. In fact, so many centuries had passed since they split. Kiku wouldn't even remember having a brother once in his lifetime. The delicate nation standing in front of him now was nothing but an abysmal failure.

"Nǐ hǎo, Japan." Yao nodded timidly.

"The meeting will start very soon. I suggest that you hurry or Alfred-san will not be pleased."

"Yes, yes," China hummed and bowed a little before scurrying towards the storage room.

Ten years had rolled on since the **incident** \- the grave war that had turned his realm upside down; the fatal mistake that had plunged him in this mortifying situation. Yao wiped away the tears prickling his eyes and inhaled deeply. He really wasn't in the mood to attend the meeting. After all, what they ever did was tossing everything at him and bossing him around. It was an extremely arduous work to be every nation's servant. And now that his sole comrade was gone, there was no one there to ever comfort him.

Everything in his life had long vanished.

No one would ever respect and sympathize with him. After World War III, the war Russia and America had declared against each other, the war he had assisted his lover and eventually lost, everything went back to square one. All his efforts and endeavors in the past had disappeared. All those years he had spent on building his nation's power and affluence all went down the drain. It was pretty much like the wars he got involuntarily tangled in during the 19th century. He was always defeated, compelled to surrender, forced to be insulted and abused in every possible way. There was little chance for his empire to rise again since the communist government had dissolved. Even though all the nations deemed his foolish choice a result of Ivan's manipulation, what they did was never a true sign of forgiveness. They penalized him. They chastised him. They ostracized him. All the nations on his side during the war had crumbled down. He could be regarded as the only survivor on his team. He lived only because Ivan had sacrificed himself the last minute before he got shot brutally in the head. He regretted having tagged along with the Russian in the first place. In all honesty, he regretted having not stopped him when he could. If he had prevented the war, nothing would end like this. Nothing could have snatched Ivan away from him forever.

Yao knocked on the door before hobbling into the conference room. Every nation turned to glare scornfully at him. China lowered his head and took his seat near the rim of the table. He had no idea why he had to be present. His nation was in rubbles after the war. Everything was exterminated. The population had dwindled to only fifty millions. America had taken him under his wing and was now in complete control of the globe. Yao figured the other nations just wanted him there so that they could spend every precious second ridiculing and scoffing at him, letting him see how they flourished while he descended.

"Dude, what's taken you so long? You're late!" Alfred hollered.

"Duì bù qǐ. I was just-"

"Never mind," America growled and went back to his prior speech while munching on a chocolate cracker.

Yao sat serenely in one corner, listening to other nations as they debated what the best solution of energy crisis was. The world was approaching its end after the devastation left by the war. Nuclear and bio-weapons used in the battles had bred irreversible destructions. Approximately one fifth of the earth was now immersed wholly in lethal contaminations, with habitats unsuitable for human's living.

A large proportion of land in China was severely polluted. There was no hope of improving whatsoever. With each passing day, Yao could sense his doom looming closer. It was just a matter of time before he perished with all this anguish attacking his tainted body.

"Hey, China, prepare our lunch! I want cheeseburgers. Twenty of them!" Alfred exclaimed.

"I want pasta!" Italy spun up jubilantly.

"Pizza!"

"Scones."

"Ramen please, China-san."

"Spaghetti."

"Steak."

"Tomatoes."

And so forth.

Yao stood up, striving to memorize all the things requested by his fellow nations.

"I'm so freaking hungry. I'll give you thirty minutes to make those. Now off you go, dude!" Alfred whooped, retaining the cherubic smile on his heroic face.

Frankly speaking, Yao ought to be grateful that the American hadn't done anything worse than giving him commands. Alfred (or basically NATO) won the entire war but instead of enslaving him or grabbing all his land, he let Yao take shelter under his roof provided that he complied with everything he said. How was a loser supposed to object anyway? It irritated the British though that Alfred seemed to be rather fond of Yao. As he said, he was treating the Chinese man overtly nicely considering the international crimes he had committed while following the notorious Russian's province.

Yao hurried to prepare everyone's meal. He had little time to contemplate these days. Every second of his life was dedicated to serving others and being reminded of his pathetic, insignificant existence. He wanted to cry, seriously. He missed the days when everyone was friends with each other and when things were merry. After the war, nothing was ever the same again and indeed, he blamed himself. He had been one of the greatest contributors to destroying the world. Greed and aggression had seized his government's heart when they vowed to expand the territories across the South China Sea and even towards the neighboring Asian countries. Now, Yao had to deal with the dire consequences of his boss' recklessness and imbecility. The guilt would linger for however many years, decades and centuries to come whenever he recalled the scene of Ivan shielding him. He missed his comrade so much, so damn much that he could die just to see him.

He swallowed his sobs so that none of his tears would dribble down onto the food. He was starving but was forbidden to eat until the other nations finished their meal. When he was finally permitted to eat, he would have to crouch in one corner gorging on some measly rice or leftovers. Over the past few years, he had grown so scrawny that it became increasingly strenuous for him to do anything. It was only logical that his food supply was limited because of widespread famine. Food crisis, energy shortage, aggravated global warming, radiation…so many problems were looping and they all knew there was nothing much to be done. Sooner or later, everyone would receive the very same fate- wiped out for all eternity.

He would be the first to vanish, of course.

Yao wondered if anyone still remembered his birthday. It was a silly thought, really. Even if they did remember, they would at most let him take a half-day off. They wouldn't celebrate for him anymore, considering how much they despised him. Ever since the war, none of his festivals had been celebrated. Even his own siblings had evaded him. He was always alone. It was one thing being a nation; another thing being an immortal. Sometimes, he wished he had been a human. He wished he could just die. He wished he didn't have to live with this remorse for the rest of his life.

"Those taste nothing like my cuisine," Arthur grumbled, chewing a freshly-baked scone offered by Yao.

"Your cuisine sucks, dude!" Alfred laughed. "I doubt the ones you make are any better than Yoa's. In fact, you ought to savor these, man!"

"Oh shut up, fatass. Just gobble up your burgers!"

"Well, if they really taste that awful, I can bake some new ones, aru," Yao mumbled, staring at the ground dolefully like a child having done something wrong.

"No need to make a fuss about it, dude! Those scones can't kill Artie and if they do, I'll thank you specifically for that, haha!"

"America!" Arthur snarled and smacked his friend upside the head, causing him to spill out the fries in his mouth.

"Where's my tea by the way?" the British turned to Yao and cocked his bushy brows.

"Oh, I'll get it right away aru!" The Chinese man gasped and darted out of the dining room, returning promptly with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

"There isn't enough milk," Arthur complained after taking a sip of his drink.

"I'm sorry. I'll go get you some more now."

"And get us some napkins for God's sake!"

"Yes."

Yao tried his best to appease everyone's appetites before retreating. By then, his stomach had been growling for hours. He felt a little drowsy slouching against the wall. The pain twirling in his bones only made things worse. He could hardly stay fully conscious with the fatigue he was suffering.

"Dude, you okay?"

A heavy hand tapped his shoulder. He blinked languidly at Alfred and nodded. He didn't even bother to brush off the filthy hand that had slain his lover. The formidable nation was way beyond his capacity to revolt against now. In fact, the only reason he was letting Alfred do all these to him was because he had got Russia's land. After Ivan perished, the NATO split the land and each clasped a part that benefited them. Belarus did attempt to preserve her dear brother's remains but to no avail. All nations that had lost in the war were subject to the conquerors' rulings, especially with natural disasters so prominent and human race being menaced every single day. No more wars could be afforded.

"Dude, I'm talking to you." Alfred stared at the Chinese with concern. It took him a moment to remember that Yao hadn't stuffed anything into his stomach all morning. The vulnerable nation looked terribly pallid and devoid of energy.

"Eat this first." A hamburger was shoved into Yao's hands. "You can leave early today."

"I can leave now?" Yao asked, widening his eyes incredulously.

"Yea, I still have something to discuss with the others. Go back to my house first. See ya later, dude!"

Yao watched the American scramble back into the conference room before slamming the door shut. Left alone in the hallway, the Asian sighed and peeked at his meal. He never fancied burgers but he was rendered no choice. Either he fainted in hunger or he warmed himself up a little with this meager food.

He started taking large bites of the burger, completely ignoring his manners as he let the sauce stain the corners of his lips and trickle down his chin.

He only realized how pitiful he looked when he sensed that someone was staring at him in disgust. He gazed up, his amber orbs meeting those of Hong Kong's. Clinging close to the nonchalant state were Korea and Taiwan, both of whom were once considered his beloved siblings. The three frowned upon the sight of their fallen big brother, each whispering something unintelligible.

Both Hong Kong and Taiwan had long declared their independence. During the war, they didn't even lend a helping hand to China. Instead, they each took part in assisting Arthur and Kiku. Yao watched his siblings stray further and further away from him. They were all like birds growing enormous wings, breaking free from the cages and never flying back to him. He would shed countless tears but never would they return. As for Yong Soo, he was also estranged from Yao when the Chinese government announced their preference towards North Korea. The North was eradicated completely during the war so the nation was unified.

"Aniki…" The Korean spoke up first.

Yao forced a vague smile to his face, knowing how wretched he must look right now. His siblings knew he loathed American food. And the only time he would even agree to eat some junk leftovers was when he had to beseech for meal.

"Nǐ hǎo…" Yao trailed off, fighting to hold back his tears.

"You know, that is, like, totally uncool. Standing in the hallway crunching a burger," Jia Long commented impassively, keeping his eyes fixated on his phone's screen. Mei nudged his elbow with a scowl but didn't retort.

"A-Are you…you all going to the meeting?" Yao asked.

"Yea." Jia Long shrugged, slipping his smart phone back into his pocket. "We're, like, running late, actually. But don't think Alfred minds."

"I…I didn't know that he asked to meet you all," Yao said. "What have you been doing lately?"

"That's, like, none of your business."

"It's confidential," Mei butted in.

"We can't tell you," Yong Soo echoed.

If only these three could see through the tears concealed in Yao's eyes, they would realize how callously their words had broken his heart. Yao maintained his composure, nonetheless. His mind was flooded with sentiments but once he allowed those hopeless tears to drench his face, he knew his siblings would only belittle him more.

"I-I see…"

"If you would excuse us, we're, like, going to the conference now."

"Yes, yes, of course," Yao scooted aside so that his siblings could pass through. Yong Soo peeped at his brother sympathetically but didn't say more.

Hong Kong kept his chin up, his hands sluggishly jammed in his pockets as he pranced down the corridor.

Taiwan fidgeted with her curl slightly and continued clinging to her brothers. The three left without another utterance.

Yao finished the burger and wiped his mouth with his sleeves. After ensuring that everyone was out of sight, he slumped down on the floor and curled up.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

It hurt more than he thought it would.

The choices he made were never wise.

The life he lived was never right.

Everything he had done was an error.

The bonds that used to glue them together as a so-called family had long shattered. There was nothing left. _Nothing._

He wasn't their brother to begin with because they never treated him one. It amused him how swiftly people came and went, in and out of his life. He used to think a relationship could last forever, like the sun, the moon, the stars, the galaxy... But all at once, it vanished in the blink of an eye. It broke like a fragile thread.

What bugged him more was the fact that even his siblings refused to acknowledge his presence, or to wish him a simple "happy birthday".

With much ado, Yao got back up to his feet. He tramped out of the building and all the way back to America's house, also his current residence.

He was inwardly grateful that he could leave early. If fortunate, he could even slumber for a while before the loud, annoying Alfred came busting in and asking for dinner.

Yao stumbled upstairs and into his little room. It was a miracle that Alfred would even let him stay inside a room. He opened the door and shuffled towards his bed. He glanced at the withering sunflower he had placed near the window and smiled. It was the only thing he could hold onto during his toughest days. It was also the only décor in this room. Whenever he felt the urge to relieve all his pain, he would stare at the sunflower all day.

 _Yao-Yao, you know why I never feel cold?_

 _Why? Because of that scarf?_

 _Nyet! Because Yao-Yao's my sunflower, da~_

He used to be Ivan's sunflower. He used to protect him from the cold. He used to melt the frozen heart with his warmth and cheerfulness. And in return, he received the most unconditional and wondrous love ever found on earth.

He wondered where the petals had gone.

The wilting sunflower.

The decaying world.

The putrefying heart.

He climbed onto the bed and flopped down weakly.

He was genuinely exhausted. Every breath he took drained him of his energy. Trembling, Yao stretched out his arm and took the sunflower. It was the last thing Ivan left in this world. It was his memento; the thing he shoved into Yao's hands as he drew his last breath.

"It's weird…I feel cold aru," Yao hummed, shutting his eyes tranquilly as he fiddled with the rotten plant in his arms. "You aren't here…We aren't in Russia…it isn't winter…but I feel cold. I feel so cold, aru. Can you tell me why? Can you…?"

He would expect a pair of strong arms to encase him from behind, to stroke his hair, to caress his face, to cup his cheeks, to fondle him and an adorable voice to reassure him, saying that everything would be alright.

It never happened though.

He could dream, still. He always dreamed. And he met Ivan. In that sunflower field belonging to them. They would embrace one another, reminiscing about all the beautiful past they shared together. They would smile. They would laugh. They would frolic and fool around. They would kiss. They would watch the sun rise and set. They would watch the stars twinkling bright above them and wish upon a shooting one. They would always be together.

It was only a dream though.

"Why didn't you take me with you aru?"

It was a torment to survive.

It was an ordeal to be forsaken.

It was a nightmare to wake up realizing he was yet alone again.

"I knew I shouldn't have been your accomplice. You're so stupid, aru. So stupid. But I'm worse. I didn't stop you. Like the time you jumped out of the plane without wearing a parachute. Why did I always believe you…I'm so stupid, aru. You made me so stupid…"

Yao giggled as tears rolled down his creamy cheeks. He tightened his grip around the stem and tensed up.

"And you're the biggest liar…ever. Such a hypocrite…what did you mean by conquering the world together? What did you mean by living through the most scintillating era with me? It's nothing but trash…bullshit…and I believed you…I must've lost my mind aru…so stupid…so stupid…and now I've lost you forever…how could you leave me in this shit…alone…in the cold aru…tell me how I could feel warmer…you said I'm your sunflower…but where has my sunflower gone? I'm so cold aru…I think I'll freeze to death…if only I could."

In his lucid dream, he saw a child whimpering in a snowstorm, mourning over the loss of a withered sunflower. The child turned to the man, his violet eyes shimmering in utter despair. He pleaded to be hugged. The man smiled and took the little Russian into his arms. The solitude drifted away. He assured the boy that the flower would bloom again when the spring came. The child shook his head and said it was always winter in his place. The man grinned and promised to grow the flower in his land. They walked out of the storm together.

"China!"

A shrill noise blared down the hall, startling the snoozing male. Yao spun up on his bed and sniffed, making sure to rub his tears clean before Alfred barged into his room. "China! Dude! Where're you?"

"I-I'm here…" Yao quivered and tumbled towards the door. He plodded downstairs just in time to see America grinning ear to ear. He gasped as he caught sight of the other nations.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHINA!" everyone whooped and clapped simultaneously.

The Chinese man stiffened on the spot, frowning a bit at the surprise.

"Wang Yao, we have been discussing for some time." Arthur cleared his throat and stated, "We have come to an agreement that your punishment should cease. It is not you who started the war but rather, it is your boss' fault."

"We know that you were just following your government's orders. You don't deserve this, dude." Alfred shook his head in dismay.

"And so, we've decided…" Ludwig stepped up and cut off the cuffs wrapping around Yao's wrists. "Your sentence is over."

"We have forgiven you and Russia-san." Kiku nodded. "Like you've forgiven my government for the Rape of Nanking."

"We have a proposal, however, that you should become our friend once more." Arthur smiled.

"We do not want to impose any more unnecessary violence and penalty on anyone for the war which has long ended," Alfred said, adjusting his glasses. "And so, dude, let's be friends again, okay? It'll be totally awesome because I'm going to help re-build your country! Ten years is more than enough for repentance! Plus, you've been really doing all the favours we ask. So yea, you're free now!"

"I know it is, like, kinda brusque of us to say this, but Taiwan and Korea think that it would be good if we could live together again," Hong Kong said in a monotonous tone.

"Yes, yes, aniki~We sorta miss you, da-ze~"

Yao would have thought it was a dream if it weren't for the pain boiling in his heart. He gazed down at his own hands. The cuffs had dropped to the ground. He was free. He was absolutely free!

And he was told that he had been forgiven.

Along with…Ivan?!

"Did you…did you say…you forgive me and Ivan?" Yao asked tremulously, hot burning tears cascading down his face. He didn't care whatever others said. He only wanted to know if he was truly forgiven. He didn't want to be resented anymore. He had spent so much time regretting his decisions and paying for his sin. If only he could be kindly informed that he and Ivan were forgiven, he would trade away anything on earth.

"Yes. You're forgiven. And…" Alfred paused for a second before adding. "And Ivan too."

"T-Thank you…. xiè xiè nǐ…. xiè xiè…" Yao smiled and burst into tears. He knelt down and cried and cried.

"China-san..."

Arms wrapped around him as he sobbed until both his eyes and throat went sore. It wasn't the fact of being freed that struck him so profusely but the truth that he and Ivan could be together in peace.

"We all knew that it wasn't your fault. We all knew it but still, we were furious. We were exasperated by what you did. Even though Ivan was pretty much under his government's control as well, we hated him…But now we'll forgive both of you. We'll condone everything you've done under your bosses' commands."

 _"_ _He…He…He'll be…so glad to hear this…"_ Yao whispered but nobody heard.

They helped the poor Chinese man up and led them to the table, where they had prepared a feast for him.

"Since we're friends again, we're going to celebrate your birthday, dude!" Alfred exclaimed elatedly.

Yao stared hollowly at the cake, his mind fading into his own reverie. There was only one thing on his mind.

 _Only one thing on his mind._

The party ended at midnight, when everyone was drunk and worn. They hadn't had a blast for years after all. Yao had never felt more blissful in the previous ten years. When he thought every nation had gone to sleep, he knew what he had to do.

Dragging his tattered body upstairs, he took his beautiful sunflower and a box containing his ponytail. He had forfeited his long hair when the Great Wall got bombed in the war. But it didn't matter now. Not anymore.

He locked himself in the sound-proof attic so that no one would hear the ear-splitting noise.

He lolled down in one corner, nestling himself against a dusty wall. He could hear his own heart thumping.

"Ivan….aru…did you hear that…?" Yao smiled, holding the sunflower to his heart. "They said…they've forgiven us…isn't it great? It's been…ten years…aru…It's been ten years…and they said they would let everything go…I'm so happy…I've been waiting for this moment to come…I thought they would never ever want to be friends with us again…You must be delighted too, right, aru? You've waited long enough, my love…Now that they've forgiven us…I guess…I guess we can be…together again…aru. Yes…I'll be there shortly, Ivan…You don't have to be alone…anymore."

The ancient nation smiled gleefully as he pulled out the pistol he had stolen from Alfred. His smile widened as he pointed the muzzle directly towards his head. Oh, how he loved the freedom he had gained! For so many centuries, he had been restrained by his own boss. When his government dissembled, he received retribution from the other nations. Now that he was set free and forgiven, he would…he would do the only thing he was bound to achieve.

"I can only do this much for you, aru. I hope you'll forgive me…for taking this so long." He grinned one last time. "Wǒ ài nǐ."

 **xXx**

They found the body the next day, soaked in a puddle of blood.

The gorgeous white skin formed the most stunning contrast with the crimson liquid.

They found him lying inanimately on the ground, with a withered sunflower in his arms. The last petal fell onto the scarlet pool.

A smile crawled over his face. His eyes were sealed tightly.

 _"_ _Dear all,_

 _I am sorry for having you see this horrendous sight. I am sincerely grateful for your mercy and forgiveness. You have no reasons to pardon my wrongdoing as I have aided in destroying our precious planet. I sinned the greatest having not stopped Russia when I ought to. I must admit an old cripple like me deserves none of your kindness. You could have all just thrust me aside like the scum I am. I know well what I have done and I am willing to pay for it._

 _Please do not think that I am doing this on a whim. I have planned this for a while. Every part of my body is aching and urging me to let go. None of you is responsible for my death either. You can call me a coward if you want. I am exhausted. I truly am. If you were me and got to live to be a 5000-year-old nation, you would understand the true predicament of being an immortal. I have always wished to be free. Now that my realm is gone, my sinister government is no more and my sin is forgiven, I believe I am granted the freedom to leave this world as well. I love this world. I really do. But on the other side of this universe, a very dear friend of mine is waiting for me. I must go. He is a child in grave need of care. He cannot endure solitude. He cries whenever he is forlorn and forsaken. He cannot stand the cold. He is a withered plant craving for love and sunshine. And I am the only one who could rescue him._

 _I can already envision his happiness when he learns that every one of you has forgiven him. I believe there have been many times Ivan wavered during the war. So did I. He was never meant to mortally wound any one of you. We both knew our decisions were the most erroneous and incorrigible. But still, we advanced because our bosses told us to. For this, we will remain guilty forever. As Ivan has sacrificed selflessly for me, I believe it is now my turn to bring him comfort and peace._

 _America, I do believe my people would lead a much better life migrating to your land. Take them in if you can. I am sure they can become great labor force and contribute vastly to your society. My country has long died. I will leave everything, including my remains and my land, to your reign. Do whatever you want._

 _Kiku, Jia Long, Yong Soo and Mei, you will always be my precious siblings no matter what. I am sorry for having hurt all of you. I will not beg to be remembered as your brother. I only wish to be remembered as someone that has once crossed your life. I love you all equally and will never stop loving you._

 _If you ever find another personification of China after my death, please by all means be nice to him._

 _Now, I must get going._

 _Ivan is waiting. You know he sulks when left alone for too long._

 _Thank you so much for being my friends._

 _Wang, Yao."_

"Dude….why…why would he do that?" Alfred cried and crumpled the piece of paper, chucking it aside as if it was the worst thing he had ever seen.

Following suit, the other nations broke down at once. The room immediately quaked with wails and squeals.

"Gege! Wake up! I'm sorry! We're sorry! Don't scare us, okay?"

"Seriously, this, is, like…the worst prank ever! Get up, teacher!"

"China-san…China-san! Nii-san!"

"Aniki! Aniki!"

"Wake up, you stupid wanker! Hey! I'm talking to you! I'm going to shovel my scones down your throat if you don't open your eyes now! Damn git!"

"Monnnnnnnn cherrrr~ Why you no opening your eyes? Come on~"

"Germany! Germany! What do we do now? Why isn't China waking up?"

They shook the body violently but those tightly clenched eyes never stirred again.

All that remained was a content smile plastered on that pale face.

He knew they would bury his corpse together with Ivan's.

In that sunflower field.

Far away from the ruins.

Where the sun never stopped hovering above.

Where winter never came.

He knew he would meet his lover there once more.

And the flowers would blossom ever so beautifully.

 **xXx**

 _Yao-Yao, you'll be my sunflower forever, da?_

 _Of course, aru._

* * *

 ** _Translations:_**

 _N_ _ǐ_ _h_ _ǎ_ _o = Hello_

 _Xiè xiè = Thank you_

 _Duì bù q_ _ǐ= Sorry_

 _W_ _ǒ_ _ài n_ _ǐ = I love you_


End file.
